The third stitch is still coming...
Photo credit: Bc Government official website
On October 26, the B.C. government announced that starting in January 2022, all provincial residents over the age of 12 who have received two doses of the vaccine will be eligible for a third booster dose. If you are in a high-risk group, then you will be invited to vaccinate as early as possible.
At this point, BC has become the first province in Canada to fully launch the third shot.
Imaged from: Narcity
Health Minister Adrian Dix said: "Everyone who has received the first and second doses of the vaccine and wants to step up the injection will get a third dose. "People at highest risk of serious illness will be vaccinated first, and I encourage everyone to be vaccinated to protect our caring family and friends."
For the third dose of vaccine, many people have various questions, and Xiaobian specially summarized the problems that everyone cares about for reference.
1. Why do you have to get a third shot?
Dr Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer, stressed again in a press conference, "Our vaccine is very effective. Over time, however, the protection of vaccines is gradually decreasing. Therefore, we are taking proactive steps to extend the third dose to everyone in our province and protect everyone from this virus and its variants. ”
It can be seen that it is an indisputable fact that the effect of vaccines will weaken over time. In order to protect against the virus, a third injection seems to be the best way to do it now.
And after announcing the expansion of the use of vaccine enhancement injections, the BC health department also revealed that the number of covid-19 hospitalizations has climbed to the highest level in 5 months. According to the latest news released on Tuesday, October 26, 390 people were hospitalized for COVID-19, of which 155 were in intensive care. It was the highest number of hospitalizations since May 13.
Image: CTV News
But most COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and ICU visits involve unvaccinated people. According to a form shared on Twitter by Health Secretary Adrian Dix, about 86 percent of ICU patients have not been vaccinated, with 41 of the 42 patients under the age of 50.
At present, about 90% of the residents of the province have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and nearly 85% of the residents have received two doses. Presumably, the provincial government believes that vaccinating the third dose as soon as possible can give everyone better protection.
Photo credit: The Government of the B.C
2. What is the third shot?
All booster shots are mRNA vaccines. Those who have been given a first or second dose of AstraZeneca will also receive a booster injection from Pfizer or Modena.
Health Canada and the B.C. government also recommend that all people who have been fully vaccinated against non-mRNA vaccines (such as Sinopharm, Coxing, etc.) have one dose of mRNA supplementation.
3. When will the third injection start?
Older people, high-risk groups and Indigenous peoples in BC will receive invitations for a third dose starting in December. Starting from January 2022, all provincial residents over the age of 12 who have completed two injections will be notified of the third injection.
As with the order of vaccination of the first two doses, the duration of the invitation will depend on risk and age (from largest to smallest) and will need to be 6 to 8 months after the completion of the second dose.
As of October 25, 2021, B.C. has received 90,425 booster injections.
4. Where to get the third shot?
A third dose of the booster will be offered at "public health community clinics of health authorities and pharmacies throughout the province".
To get a third dose, you need to use the "vaccination system", just like the first two doses of the vaccine in your appointment. Then, when you receive the invitation, you can make an appointment to go to the time and place to be vaccinated.
5. When will the vaccine for children aged 5-11 years be launched?
The provincial government also added that vaccines for children aged 5 to 11 must be approved by Health Canada, are expected to be launched in November, and will be carried out in conjunction with the third vaccination program. Parents can now register their child in advance at the following URL: getvaccinated.gov.bc.ca
6. Will the card be invalidated without the third dose?
Some residents of B.C. question whether the enhanced vaccination program will affect the validity of the vaccine card. The provincial government said that at present, according to regulations, whether or not to get a third injection does not affect the vaccine card. That is to say, you can still participate in public events after only two injections, and you can also go to restaurants, watch competitions, parties, etc.
7. Will the third injection bring stronger side effects?
On September 16 this year, a Chinese doctor named Wang Wei-sheng died suddenly on the couch at home after receiving a third dose of the new crown vaccine in the United States.
Originally from Taiwan, Wang Weisheng, former director of the Infectious Diseases Department at Mackay Memorial Hospital, is a medical doctor himself and has been called a "hero in the fight against SARS."
Wang Weisheng Photo credit: Taiwan English News
Wang Weisheng later moved to the United States and received a third Pfizer injection on September 2 this year. "A few days after my father received his third dose of the Pfizer vaccine in early September, he felt so dizzy that he even fell down the stairs because of dizziness." Ashley Wang, Wang's son, said.
On September 16, Wang Weisheng was found dead on the living room sofa. With no history of chronic illness, the family suspected his death was vaccine-related. According to relatives and friends, after Wang Weisheng was vaccinated, there may have been myocarditis in early September, but it has not improved, and finally led to heart problems and sudden death at home.
Wang Weisheng's case may be an isolated case, and many small partners from the United States, Singapore and other countries who have received the third dose of booster injections have also shared their experiences online:
This little friend did not feel much because the first two injections did not feel much, so he did not take the third injection seriously. As a result, high fever, lymphatic pain, dizziness, weakness, and sweating could not come out.
Photo from: Little Red Book
Someone else gave a "soul torture" after the third shot -- will I be crippled?
After the third injection, the little friend first had dizziness, nausea, soreness, low fever, after the fever subsided, the arm began to be red and swollen and slowly became harder and harder, and finally even the neck became stiff, more and more unable to move, and sometimes cramped. And the hair is also lost a lot...
There are also people who do not respond much to the first two injections, and as a result, the third injection of lymphatic pain is so painful that they cannot sleep.
Even the Pfizer vaccine, which is recognized as milder, has such a big reaction in the third dose, isn't it worse for the friends who beat Modena? Think about when xiaobian himself was vaccinated with the second dose of Modena, the fever was 39 degrees for two consecutive days, and then two weeks were flustered and tired, this crime simply did not want to suffer a second time. And think about it, according to the law of antibody decay, should you not give a booster injection every six months in the future? That's depressing...
However, there are also some people who say that they have a fever with the second injection, and the third injection is fine; there are also people who do not have a fever with the third injection; it can be seen that the personal constitution is different, and the side effects should also be different.
Fortunately, the third shot in BC is not yet mandatory. So the question is, if it's your turn to get a third shot, will you go?